Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-20
THAT VETO.
Nh. cLEvILAID AND TIE PAUPHR.
PENSION BILL.
Some views on the subjeet-A Patriotic
Act-The Revenue Reform
Question Discussed.
CHARLorTEsvILLE, Va, !
February Is, 1887. (

FEBRUARY 10, 1881.
To ne Editor of the Dispatch:
II il appropriate for even the hum
blest citizen publicly TO express his ap-
proval and admiration for an unselfsh,
noble, and patriotic act of a high pub
lie official, when such an act 30 greatly
rebounds to the public good, as does
the veto of President Cleveland of the
monstrous "pauper pension bill, for
thus it may be truly styled. Self-in-
terest might have prompted him to sign
it, as pension bills are wonderfully pop
ular with politicians seeking the sol
diers' votes. But he regarded it his
duty TO protect the people from the bur
den of taxation destined soon to reach
the enormous amount OF 500, 600, 900,
and, finally, even more annually, which
this bill would infict upon them, not
for a year only but for many years.
The brave, wounded, and disabled sol
diers. for whose benefit the people are
now willingly taxed S75, 600, 600 annu-
ally for pensions, would not think 1t an
honor to them or Just to the tax
payers to pension thousands of those
who were probably never in fight
and whose poor relatives may have be-
come so by idleness and vicious indul-
0ence unconnected with the war. I'm
der this bill we would have n vast army
of pensioners equal to the great stand
ing army of Germany, the oppressive
taxation for which has driven thousands
of her citizens TO America. They will
have gained nothing if they are to be
taxed to support an equal army OF pen
sioners here, yearly increasing as we
recede from the war, although many Of
these die yearly After the expiration
of more than twenty years since the
war it is reasonable to suppose that,
urged by an army of interested pen
sion agents, all the wounded and dis
abled in the war have already obtained
pensions, for the payment of whom the
people are now, as stated, taxed $780,
0O0,O each year. Shall they be taxed
one hundred millions more for their
relatives who are poor The President
saws, No! VIII Congress still demand
that they shall be thus stiD further
taxed? Or will that body sustain the
Presidents veto, and thus save this
enormous sum to the people, and per
haps a still larger one in the not distant
future? With the nerve of Andrew
Jackson the President has dared to do
his duty, regardless of all consequences
save the promotion of the public good,
the peoples welfare and rights.
Supported even by the cry of the
demagogue for more pensions, whilst
the worthy and disabled have been
supplied with these, and the people are
weighed down by taxation, can our
legislators face these people with the
monstrous proposition still to tax them
SlO0, 100000? If any of our legisla-
tors were unpatriotic enough to have
been influenced by the soldiers vote it
is hoped that all such will look still
further at thai immense number of
ldbOrCrS and tdr-p0yerS, who too are
rOters, and who would he grievously
oppressed and ground into the dust of
poverty by such oppressive taxation,
dignation that will retire them, perhaps
forever, 10 private lie.
ON THE OTHER HAND,
if there are some who have been in
duced to vote for this monstrous bill,
which has been so periodically vetoed
by Mr.. Cleveland, with the view of
thus spending the surplus repcnue to
prevent reduction of our present high
war protective tariff, which is so
urgently demanded by the people and
earnestly desired by the President, and
which the Democrats in their platform
promised the people, in order that the
millions of dollars which have for many
years been annually unjustly trans
ferred from the pockets of the agricul-
turists and laborers to the manufac-
turing monopolists shall be stopped
and retained by the people, they too
will see that when this question is more
fully discussed before the people that
such oppressive class legislation cannot
be made a permanent burden upon
labor, even by the enactment of the
"pension pauper BILL" to consume
the surplus from taxation wrung from
an unwilling people.
Though the Democratic party are
pledged to the people to reduce this
burden, few Obstructionists amongst
the leading Democrats have disregard
ed their will and their own pledges.
These will be held responsible for the
continuance of the war taxes, both di-
rect and indirect, which Cypress the peo-
pie.
Justice to the farmer and fruit-grow
er requires that the internal-reve-
nue. war taxes upon tobacco and the
products of fruits shall be repealed,
whilst the high protective tariff, prohi-
bitory in many respects, shall be re-
duced. Whilst thus doing justice to
the tillers of the soil, who sAould not
be Disseminated against, We would get
rid of a great army of internal-revenue
officers, who for twenty years have, Of
ten by corrupt means, influenced and
controlled elections, and for selfish gain
have dragged unoffending aud peace
able citizens to distant places for trial
for pretended offences Though these
abuses have been checked under Mr..
Clevelands Administration, still, under
a President less regardful of his duties
and the peoples rights, the same abuses
may be renewed in the future
There is no one for absolute free
trade; nor is the principle of protection
not0 an issue in politics, since any
tariff for revenue that will raise a
sufficient amount to support the
Government and pay the debt of the
United States will be incidentally
sufficiently protective even for Mr..
Randalls constituents to manufacture
proftably, unless he wishes to make
them monopoliSts, which in the
Democratic platform he has pledged
himself not to do. Why should he
then oppose decided reduction of the
war tariff? Why refuse to cooperate
with the low tariff men, who are willing
to afford all the incidental protection
needed 10y our manufacturers? Why
should Mr.. Carlisle refuse to repeal'the
odious internal-revenue laws on tobacco
and fruit products if he believes that
reduction of the high prohibitory tariff
will increase the revenue from customs
sufficiently to dispense with those
direct taxes?
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